Pops Leaves His Ranch

The Dog Stars

Pops’s attachment to his inherited land conflicts with the need to protect Cima from drought and an uncertain future.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Ranch in Danger The Ranch in Danger from "The Dog Stars". A Hidden Homeland Defense through secrecy Pops and Cima conceal their ranch in a remote canyon and defend its approaches.

The Ranch in Danger from "The Dog Stars". A Hidden Homeland Defense through secrecy Pops and Cima conceal their ranch in a remote canyon and defend its approaches.

A Hidden Homeland Defense through secrecy Pops and Cima conceal their ranch in a remote canyon and defend its approaches. The setting offers water, shelter, and a life shaped by inherited land. An exposed refuge The same refuge depends on a creek that is shrinking. Isolation buys time, but cannot reverse the warming climate.

Flight from the Collapse Flight from the Collapse from "The Dog Stars". Reaching the Canyon A dangerous retreat Pops leads Cima and their livestock through ambushes to the canyon.

Flight from the Collapse from "The Dog Stars". Reaching the Canyon A dangerous retreat Pops leads Cima and their livestock through ambushes to the canyon.

Reaching the Canyon A dangerous retreat Pops leads Cima and their livestock through ambushes to the canyon. They hide their tracks and destroy the ford to deter pursuers. Protection as a vocation His decisions combine practical skill with devotion to family and land. The ranch becomes both a sanctuary and a demanding responsibility.

The Last Water The Last Water from "The Dog Stars". The Creek Falls A dwindling source The creek nearly dries during the previous summer, and many cattle die.

The Last Water from "The Dog Stars". The Creek Falls A dwindling source The creek nearly dries during the previous summer, and many cattle die.

The Creek Falls A dwindling source The creek nearly dries during the previous summer, and many cattle die. Pops knows the next dry season could leave his family without enough water. A painful choice ahead He loves the ranch and would rather end his life there than begin again elsewhere. Cima’s future makes that preference difficult to act upon.

The Offer to Fly The Offer to Fly from "The Dog Stars". A Reluctant Departure Hig proposes escape Hig offers to take Cima and Pops to Erie.

A Reluctant Departure Hig proposes escape Hig offers to take Cima and Pops to Erie. Pops initially wants to remain, but the shrinking creek changes the calculation. A new destination They agree that leaving may be necessary. Pops’s decision is an act of care for Cima, not a rejection of the land he loves.

A New Mission A New Mission from "The Dog Stars". Leaving Without Ceremony A practical goodbye Pops walks out to meet the plane, leaving behind the only life he has chosen for himself.

A New Mission from "The Dog Stars". Leaving Without Ceremony A practical goodbye Pops walks out to meet the plane, leaving behind the only life he has chosen for himself.

Leaving Without Ceremony A practical goodbye Pops walks out to meet the plane, leaving behind the only life he has chosen for himself. He carries his weapons and accepts a future he cannot control. A family remade He boards with Cima and two lambs. The journey turns his tactical skill toward building a new household rather than defending the old ranch.

Before Hig finds the canyon

During the early collapse

During the drought, before Hig’s arrival

Several weeks after Hig arrives

On the morning of the evacuation flight